At Maywood, Illinois-based Aetna Building Solutions, an experienced team across five locations is committed to optimizing creativity by making the work as lighthearted as possible. Founded in 1937 by Arthur Schwanke and Don Davis Sr., the company has honed its skills in providing customers with impeccable service and outstanding value in novel ways. Because, as Einstein is famed for saying, creativity is ‘intelligence having fun.’
This creativity sets Aetna apart in the field of innovative construction supplies. Aetna is an industry-leading building product supplier for companies like Wilsonart. Known for its engineered surfaces including quartz, high pressure and thermally fused laminates, and solid surface, Wilsonart is especially known for its Thinscape® composite countertops, popular among developers of multi-family units. There is also great excitement in the industry over its four new product launches later this year, which will see it release its new Lujo Collection, new wet wall designs, solid surface, and quartz.
Another popular manufacturer Aetna distributes is ARAUCO, famous for its thermally-fused laminates from composite wood cores that contribute to projects’ LEED scores.
Aetna also collaborates with Columbia Forest Products, Timber Products, and other plywood and lumber producers, most of whom are FSC certified. The company takes pride in working with producers who aim to minimize their environmental impact—like one partner who recently significantly reduced their annual emissions. Another has committed to achieving the equivalent of 330,000 cars’ emissions in reduced CO2 output over the next five years.
Serving mainly the Midwest, the Aetna footprint includes Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, with distribution centers in Rockford, Lexington (established three years ago), Indianapolis, White Bear Lake, and Maywood.
Customers appreciate the team’s relationship-driven approach to business, and the sense of care and dedication that underpins the work. Indeed, Aetna, with its rich history, is known for leveraging generational knowledge-sharing to deliver a superb customer experience and drive repeat business. Its industry professionals provide customers with the depth of knowledge and understanding that only comes from years of experience. With President Jon Minnaert and Chief Operating Officer Kim Diaz at the helm, and the company’s expert management team boasting numerous longstanding members, the company’s focus on cultivating a culture of playfulness is really about consciously building a sense of strength and a can-do spirit rooted in creativity and belonging—an approach that has resulted in positive growth and development over the years.
The company also benefits from Minnaert’s position as President of the North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) and proud founder of the University of Innovative Distribution (UID). Minnaert sits the forefront of industry developments, which has given the company a refreshing edge in its uptake of technology and its approach to customer relationships.
“We treat our customers like friends; we’re partners. We don’t want it to be transactional,” says Marketing Manager Amanda Murphy.
Indeed, while many organizations prioritize company culture, few give it as much importance as Aetna. Aetna Building Solutions enshrines company culture in ways that make it stand out from the competition. One of these is the Aetna Wayz, a manifesto of 25 thoughtfully developed guidelines by which every employee navigates their conduct at the office and toward customers and suppliers. These include invaluable character-building processes that invite team members to grow not only professionally but also personally. At Aetna, these guidelines are not mere office decorations; Human Resources Director Beth Richmond facilitates weekly gatherings where they are discussed and explored in fresh ways to help keep everyone motivated, engaged, and on the same page.
The Aetna Wayz cover everything from blameless problem-solving and honoring commitments to assuming positive intent, active respect, and proactive thinking with a responsible growth mindset and direct communication style—all while, of course, having fun. To help keep everyone on track, Aetna leverages software package, CultureSuite™, an application that allows team members to upload footage, share everything from kudos to insights, and reflect on their development.
In these ways, every aspect of the Aetna mindset is continuously reinforced while employees are invited to engage with its concepts by sharing their understanding through multimedia creations and discussions. “[Aetna Wayz] is our framework and how we lead, serve, and work together, [emphasizing] values like trust, accountability, service, respect, and growth,” Richmond shares. “It’s really about how we work, not just how we get things done.”
The result is phenomenal growth from within, with the company being known for creating opportunities within its ranks for employees who show outstanding potential. One example is when a star employee, Erin Husser, who started as an Inside Sales Rep promoted to Surface Product Manager, was promoted again to Corporate Procurement and Pricing Manager, after leaders spotted her razor-sharp talent for pricing. “When you put aside gender, sex, age, race, et cetera, and you focus on the person and their skill set, that is when people become the best versions of themselves,” Murphy says. “That’s what we want. We want to see you grow, and we want to help with that.”
Chris Martin, Product Sales Manager, Composites, who has been with the company for more than two decades, agrees. “We’re a sales organization that’s driven by relationships with our customers,” he says. “Our Aetna Wayz embody [our entire ethos].”
To maintain and manage consistency in messaging while giving employees agency, the company established a culture committee of multi-generational team members who represent the workforce across the organization—led by Martin—where employee experience and engagement inform proactive decision-making in driving the business forward. The committee also engages in organizing charity work and other activities outside the office. This work includes school supply drives where every branch identifies schools in need and supports local children and their education. There are also gifts of Thanksgiving turkeys to partners and staff, and toys for local children in need. Closer to home, the team provides resources to inspire and maintain personal wellness, advice on caring for children or aging parents, and even financial literacy resources. A monthly newsletter keeps the whole crew updated.
The team agrees that the company’s big-hearted and visionary leadership is what keeps them here. “I’ve stayed at Aetna for as long as I have because I believe that the people leading our company care about our employees and show it by their actions,” Martin says. One memorable moment was when the company invited Mike Powell, wrestling coach and Executive Director of Beat the Streets Chicago, to share his insights into finding mental resilience while going through one of the hardest chapters of his life.
Other team events include cookouts, food truck visits, golf, and sport outings throughout the year. These initiatives not only strengthen the team but build a tremendous amount of group and individual resilience when the going gets tough. “Working at Aetna makes one a well-rounded person. And that makes it pleasant to work together,” Murphy points out. “Proven statistics show that when you focus on the culture at a company, it really helps people with their work ethic and feeling included.”
With a number of exciting new developments for the company this year, it would be fair to say that the Aetna spirit is in good condition, thanks to the Aetna Wayz, open communication, and all the fun this team enjoys. Richmond is open about the inevitable challenges: “Is it perfect all the time? Definitely not. We all get busy with our day-to-day jobs,” she says. “But we try to find a way to regroup, reground, and refresh. Our goal is to create a workplace where people don’t just show up, but where they feel like they can contribute and grow and belong.”
